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Other districts' property found at Newpoint

Property from other schools operated by Newpoint Educa­tion Partners was found on the Pensacola Newpoint campus while the school district was conducting inventory.(Photo: Ben Twingley / btwingley@pnj.com)Buy Photo

Escambia County School District officials have found equipment from several other Florida school districts on the former Newpoint campus.

Malcolm Thomas, Escambia schools superintendent, said items from at least three school districts — including Bay District and Pinellas County — were discovered during an inventory of the 8190 Pensacola Blvd. location.

Newpoint High, Newpoint Academy and Five Flags at Newpoint shared a common building. Newpoint Education Partners, the former managing company for the three schools, controls Newpoint Pinellas Academy and High School in Clearwater, Bay Preparatory and Central High School in Panama City and other schools in Jacksonville and St. Petersburg.

"There were a number of items from other districts. Desks, tables labeled as being the property of other school districts," said Thomas, who added Escambia County School District property also is missing from the campus.

The Panama City News Herald reported Sunday that 80 items purchased with Bay County School District charter school program funds were delivered to the Escambia County Newpoint schools. An investigation by Adam Emerson, charter schools director for the Florida Department of Education, revealed that 65 computers, tablets and monitors meant for Newpoint Bay ended up at the Escambia County campus.

"We're not supposed to commingle materials from other districts," said Thomas, who added that the state Department of Education has been notified.

The Escambia school district began inventorying the property in early June after the charter schools closed. Thomas had initially said the items — which included furnishings, computers, iPads, laptops, servers and peripheral items — were purchased with school tax dollars and would be distributed to other Escambia County charter schools.

However, those plans have changed. All of the items from the schools have been barcode tagged and will be moved to a secure Escambia County School District location by the end of June.

He said the state DOE has given Escambia County permission to move the items off the campus. Thomas added the state DOE has issued a directive forbidding Newpoint officials from removing any items.

He said the computer servers may be stored and turned over to the State Attorney's Office, which is investigating the Newpoint schools.

When asked if he knew where the Escambia County Schools equipment was, Thomas said he didn't know.

"It's not there and I don't know where it is at," the superintendent said. "We've made inquiries to Newpoint to see what information they may be able to provide... Maybe there is an explanation for this, but I have not been given one."